The All Progressives Congress (APC) has attributed its victory in the February 21 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) area council elections to significant support from the Igbo community residing in Nigeria’s capital. Senior party figures Ardo Zubariu and Chinsom Nwakanma made the assertion in a joint statement issued on Saturday.
Zubariu and Nwakanma, who are also leaders of the APC Integrity Group, stated that the party’s success in capturing five out of six area council chairmanship seats would have been unattainable without the mass participation of residents from the South-East. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared APC candidates winners in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Bwari, Kuje, Kwali, and Abaji, while the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) secured the Gwagwalada chairmanship.
The chieftains specifically commended the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, for his leadership in mobilizing voter support. “We sincerely appreciate the South-East residents in the FCT for standing with the Deputy Speaker and supporting APC candidates during the election. Their solidarity and participation played a vital role in the successes recorded by the party,” the statement read.
This public acknowledgment highlights the strategic importance of ethnic coalition-building within the FCT’s political landscape. The endorsement by these APC elders suggests a deliberate effort to recognize and leverage demographic blocs in Nigeria’s diverse capital territory. The result reinforces the influence of prominent federal legislators in shaping outcomes at the sub-national level, particularly in a politically significant zone like the FCT.
The February 21 polls, held for the six area councils of the FCT, are a key component of Nigeria’s local governance structure. The APC’s clean sweep in five councils signals strong organisational capacity, while the APGA win in Gwagwalada indicates persistent pockets of opposition strength. The chieftains’ focus on the Igbo vote points to a narrative of inclusive politics that the party may seek to amplify ahead of future electoral contests, both within the FCT and nationally.
